TUNABLE NARROWBAND LONG WAVE INFRARED LIGHT SOURCE

RESEARCHERS ARE DESIGNING, CONSTRUCTING, AND EVALUATING A 3-12 M NARROWBAND LIGHT SOURCE BASED ON AN OPTICAL PARAMETRIC OSCILLATOR/OPTICAL PARAMETRIC AMPLIFIER PAIR (OPO/OPA), CONSISTING OF ZNGEP2 CRYSTALS THAT ARE PUMPED BY A TUNABLE OPO. THE TUNABLE OPO, WHICH IS ITSELF PUMPED BY A ND:YAG LASER, PROVIDES A NOVEL METHOD NOT ONLY FOR PUMPING THE ZNGEP2 OPO, BUT FOR PROVIDING AN ADDITIONAL OPTION FOR TUNING AND FOR CHARACTERIZING IT. MEANS FOR NARROWING THE LINEWIDTH OF THE ZNGEP2 OPO ARE BEING EVALUATED. SINCE FEMTOSECOND AND PICOSECOND ND:YAG LASERS ARE AVAILABLE, THE SYSTEM CAN LEAD TO AN ULTRAFAST TUNABLE IR SOURCE. THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO PROVIDE THE TECHNICAL BASE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF A LONG SOUGHT 3-12 MUM TUNABLE LASER SOURCE.